MMW

This thread took a strange turn.

Wow. They always played us tough. We never beat them if I recall.

Our players don't suck that bad.  We all know that neither Leavitt nor Holtz was trying to build a "three yards and a cloud of dust" team.  To expect these players to be able to pull that off is like putting smazza on your Grammer and Punctuation Olympics team and expecting to win.  

 

Deciding you aren't going to run plays you could be more successful at while insulting them at the same time doesn't exactly inspire your troops to play at a high energy level.

Many of these players will be here next year and are learning the system even when we lose.

Yes it sucks to lose but its it worth winning this year if it sets back the learning curve?

The fastest way to between two points is a straight line our whatever.

 

2-7 and almost the whole forum is against him.

 

That quote is taken out of context, and reading the rest of what he said, I really don't have an issue with it.

 

He said they will get better, they will recruit the right guys, and that we are limited at receiver. Is any of that wrong?

 

Let's stop criticizing everything Taggart does, this season is bad enough already.

 

I guess the context could be bad.  I read that to say that the kind of talent we have currently isn't hard to get.  Maybe he meant the right kind of talent isn't hard to get.  Either way it is a profoundly stupid statement.  Either he is saying top-tier talent to run a pro-style offense isn't hard to get (absurd) or he is insulting our current group of players who perhaps aren't that talented.

 

He is saying it will not be hard to find players that will fit his system.  I am not sure why you consider that a profoundly stupid statement.  What other kinds of players would he recruit? If he thought it was unreasonably difficult he is in the wrong profession.

I have to keep reminding myself that people on this board care deeply about the program and that is why everyone is upset about the way things are.  

Absolutely nothing wrong with that quote.

^^^so accurate.  

Should be required reading.

 

We suspected the problem 2 seasons ago, we realized the problem last season. We addressed the problem this season. What can we do today to make it better? Change takes a little time and money. We only have one of those right now. 

Simply put our guys need:

 

- More time to learn the system

- More time to bulk up

- More time to bring in guys that fit the system. 

 

If in year 2 or 3 we are still only winning 2-4 games then it is time to call the HC into question, but for now as much as it sucks we have to see it through. It is not as if we can just go pick up some new guys off the wire to make it work. 

 I heard the same stuff about Holtz and wait til he gets his guys, his system,  well how'd that work out?

 

Holtz did not take over a train wreck he created one.

Were you guys around during the Leavitt years?  Some of us were frustrated because we seemed to plateau.  That plateau seems like high on a mountain top these days.  That is where Holtz started.

Holtz orchestrated a steady decline.  Let's give Willie a chance to move us out of this mess.

 

 

 

What disturbed me was the attitude of CWT during the second half.  He preaches having confidence, keep working until the final whistle, etc.  He talks about being frustrated about players giving up on the game.

 

Then we see him rolling his eyes and walking around the sidelines with his head down.

Was he wearing headphones?

 

 

Huh?

 

You often see coaches on the sidelines, head down, focused on talking/listening ...

 

He was obviously pissed Mike was blowing off his plays.

 

 

I also want to know why we punted from Memphis 35, but later kicked a FG from their 37...

 

This is by far the best criticism of a CWT coaching decision yet.  A true head-scratcher.  

 

2 minutes to go in the half on the longer attempt. no need to play field position at that point. defense was playing well and we wouldn't really have a chance with under 2 to play even if they had to punt. not sure how many time outs we had.

 

earlier one he wanted to pin them deep to try and get us good field position on next series. they started at their 6 . unfortunately they were able to get it out near the 40. if we had stopped them inside their 10 then we would have had the ball around midfield on our next posession.

 

smart call on both. playing field position football in a game like that was a must.

 

I chalked the non kick up to a judgement on the field about the wind and field conditions.  Don't forget it rained all day and the surface might have been iffy.  I am not making excuses but think they had obliviously thought things through.

The way Memphis was playing they probably should have tried to kick it in retrospect.

Idiotic topic

I couldn't agree more. That being said I am happy that people are still committed to getting things turned around.

I would and have argued that the turn around has begun. Our anger should be directed at the previous regime IMO.

These things take time.

This was a perfectly reasonable call. Shaw is not a power runner and we were on the 2 or 3. He would have scored if he hung onto it.

 

Would he have scored if he did not fumble?

Very possibly. He had some steam and was maybe a foot from the plane.

 

Well, then I am inclined to think it was a good call.  From my vantage point I fell for the fake.

Would he have scored if he did not fumble?

 

 

To say there is nothing left to play for shows a complete lack of understanding on the part of the OP. Maybe nothing left for you but plenty for this team.

 

What do you think the team has left to play for?  Perhaps they win the last three and they can close the gap between them and the next worst team in college football?

Either you never played sports or were a pathetic excuse for a player ....

 

Why does this need to be said?  How do you guys not know this?

Guys, they are student athletes and they understand the state of the program and what Willie is trying to build.  

I hated to the Holtz hire at the time but I got behind him while he rode us to the ground.  Not Woolards fault necessarily, a lot of people thought he was a good hire at the time.

Taggart is a great hire and needs time - like Heath who is looking better and better.

I guess I sold myself a false bill of good also.

 

When CWT was hired, I thought for sure things would get better and that we were not that far off, and that somehow things would just get back to the way things used to be.

 

When Mike had a good game, I thought that was it, the missing piece of the puzzle.

 

B.S.!

 

We are exactly where we were a year ago. The defense is a tiny bit better and that is all.

The defense is better, the special teams are better, the running game is better.  There are tons of freshmen playing and having an impact.  There are some problems with execution that they need to continue to work on.  If this offense is this hard to pick up for this offense who knows the plays, think how hard it will be for defenses to read once we have it down.

God this thread is hysterical. 

Guys, this is a system that Taggart believes in and is successful.  It doesn't matter whether you like it or not, or you think it is working or not.  Let it go and hope he knows what he is doing because we ain't getting no spread.  

Why would Willie scrape a system that he believes deeply will work?  These guys will get it together.  

It is going to take time and this is a rebuilding year.  We were always going to suck this year.  I read how folks thought we could still go bowling and cringed.  

If you don't think it will ever work I don't have much advice but know that it not going anywhere - mark my words.

I say this with much respect by the way.  You are the core fans that still care about this program and the last people I want to fight with.

Shaking off the bi week

I do not agree. It is irrelevant how good/bad a team is when you're getting free Tickets. when the team you should be supporting is representing the school you go to.

Ha, as a Rutgers undergrad in the eighties I would disagree. The product matters. They will be back.

The route was wrong. That is the word at the game

TEMPLE!

Why does this thread keep growing and perhaps more puzzling - why do I keep clicking it?

"I'm just saying our chances would have been better if he was in attendance."

Can't argue with that.

 

 

 

 

Bottom line: USF's first president screwed us all.

 

No, I'd say it was Judy and DW for firing Leavitt and replacing him with a card board cut out of Lou Holtz with a golfing addiction.

 

If we could have maintained a ranking and had numerous legitimate sell outs, the TV ratings would be better and we'd have had a legitimate case with the B12.  If we had proved we belonged with strength in athletics, attendance, and ratings we'd be safe.  Unfortunately we're back to where we are pre-big east selling the dream alongside UCF.

 

 

This and the fact that we lost Mr. Selmon.  He was very helpful in opening doors for this program and creating opportunities.  I miss him.

 

 

That was our biggest loss.

 

He commanded the respect of others and those in charge of realignment would have been eager to listen to his vision.

 

 

Not really, see the post above about our realistic chances of making that happen. He's spot on and we never had a chance.

 

 

Disagree to a certain extent.

 

When discussions were going on with the Big 12 a couple of years ago there was discussion of WVU, Cincinnati, UL, and USF going together as a package. This was just after Mr. Selmon had passed away. If he was able to be present in those discussions I think representatives from the Big 12 would have listened more attentively when he would have spoken.

Selmon was an awesome man and a great advocate for the program but i think realignment is being driven by greed not sentiment or force of personality.

 

 

Can you please solve that whole chicken and egg thing now?

 

 

Sure.  If you believe in creationism, then the chicken came first, because that's how God made her.  If you believe in evolution, then the egg came first, because the modern chicken was a mutation of a different species.

 

Nice....I would clap but I only have one hand.